Synonymous
by Zecrea
Summary: "The only one who can beat me, is me." - Not once, did Aomine Daiki think he was an overbearing, arrogant prick. Too bad all it took was a meeting with her to perhaps, consider otherwise... OC-centric. Pairings undecided.
1. The only one who can beat me, is me

**Author's Note: Originally, this story was posted on a moderated archive site under the same pen-name. However, recent circumstances have made me realise that perhaps I should import this idea here. Comments and critiques are much appreciated. By the way, I was formerly known as Namikaze Hatake.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Kurobas! **

* * *

The tell-tale chorus of rubber against asphalt, excited shouting and the rhythmic beats of a bouncing ball reached his ears, a sign that he had arrived at his intended destination in good time.

Walking in unhurried strides, the tall male calmly made his way through the open-space of the park, yawning widely in the process.

It wasn't the first time that Aomine had decided to scope out the local street-basketball scene, more out of pure boredom than anything. His little trip through the area today was more of a whim really; the last few days of spring having brought forth a warm wave of weather, making it too hot to take a nap anywhere.

Besides, anything beat being trapped in that old stuffy classroom- If there was one thing about Japanese History Aomine knew, it was that that damn History teacher never _ever_ shut up.

_'Poor bastards.'_ The male released a deep chuckle, picturing Sakurai apologising profusely for his absence while the rest cowered in fear. He had been the only one quick and agile enough to escape the old geezer's wrath, abandoning the rest in the dust to face the proverbial storm.

Of course, he hadn't done it quietly either, leaving chaos in his wake as he leaped out the first floor classroom window.

Stuffing his hands into the pockets of his slacks, the tall male's ears perked involuntarily as the sounds of a fast-paced basketball game became more and more distinct.

He found himself furrowing his brows in mild confusion; the people playing were unusually harried for some reason, frantically shouting at one another.

"Crap! How strong is this guy?!"

"Shit! Don't let him score again!"

Curiosity peaked, the tanned skinned male made his way over to the court despite himself. He had never been one to pass up the opportunity to scope out potential opponents, despite all his failures in procuring a rival in the past.

Underneath it all, his love for basketball drove him on.

...Well, sort of. Aomine couldn't deny the occasional amusement he felt at the sight of bumbling fools struggling to get stronger. Especially after he completely crushed them.

Squashing the slight swell of hope that he would never openly admit to, the tan-skinned teen came to a stop by a court bench, joining the small audience that had gathered to watch the ongoing game.

He paused, taking a moment to absorb the scene.

It was five players against one, a set up that challenged Aomine himself, if only slightly; It was something he liked to indulge in to stave off the constant dull feeling he had inside whenever he was out skipping club.

_'Who is that guy?'_

Aomine eyed him curiously, unable to properly identify him due to his baggy clothing, which consisted of a dark pair of track pants and a thick hooded jumper with the hood worn up. The navy haired teen squirmed slightly in discomfort as he saw this. Was this guy an idiot? Who the hell would wear such clothes in the first place? It was way too hot!

It was a few seconds later when Aomine found himself narrowing his eyes in contemplation, his gaze never once straying from the mysterious fellow's agile form.

Every movement, every muscle and the way the other carried himself... It was all strangely _**familiar**__._

Performing a skilled crossover, before pivoting and dashing past one of his nameless opponents, the unknown newcomer jumped, coiling his muscles as he shifted into a posture that signaled his intentions for a three-point shot.

"Tch. That's not going to go in, dumbass." Aomine muttered, secretly feeling quite disappointed. Crossing his arms over his chest, his eyes easily followed the game as it played true to his prediction, watching a second member of the opposing team rise to block the shot and a third position himself not far behind him. It would be impossible for the player to score with so many obstacles.

However, almost reflexively, the oddly dressed stranger shifted in mid-air, swiftly ducking under the second fellow's arm before shooting the ball at the board, earning exclamations of surprise from his opponents, as the projectile roughly bounced off the backboard.

With a display of near inhuman agility, the hooded male pivoted around the third guard, who had been distracted by the seemingly haphazard shot, launching himself into the air and performing a powerful dunk in show of a perfect Self Alley Oop.

The audience watched captivated, as the hoop continued to vibrate violently from the impact.

Landing easily on the court, he turned towards his opponents, some of which were collapsed in a heap on the court, posture remaining completely relaxed despite the amount of raw power he had just exhibited.

"…Maa, maa. I'm rather disappointed."

Aomine blinked in surprise, his eyes widening slightly as he heard the oddly feminine pitch to the newcomer's voice. There was no way a guy could sound like that! _'...Huh?'_

"You guys aren't very entertaining." She sighed, almost forlornly; a large but notably feminine hand moving up to pull down her hood, unfazed by the collection of fallen men at her feet.

There was a tense silence as she smiled coldly, not once opening her eyes. "I feel slighted. You weren't what you claimed to be after all." The tall woman said serenely, remaining oblivious to the gobsmacked expressions of everyone around her.

_**"E-EEEEEEH?!"**_

* * *

"O-Oi! Y-You! Y-You were a girl?!" Someone from the bunch of losers yelled, thoroughly shocked. She turned towards him, somehow managing to stare him down condescendingly despite never once opening her eyes. The woman's domineering height didn't do much to ease the sudden pressure that she was inflicting on the poor sap either. Heck, she appeared to be only be a few centimetres shorter than Aomine himself.

"Yes?" She answered, voice remaining polite as her cold smile morphed into a cocky smirk. "I'll tell you now, as clearly just demonstrated, it doesn't really matter if I'm male or not." She said politely. However, her sugary lilt did nothing to hide the cutting supercilious tone underlying her words.

Her defeated opponents flinched, some clenching their fists in anger while others looked down in utter despair. They couldn't form retorts at all- she had completely and utterly crushed them.

"What's with that girl?! She's seriously tall! I thought she was a guy!"

"I-I can't believe it! I-I mean, they didn't even score a **single** point!"

"What the hell?! She's just like that other guy!"

The murmurings of the small audience got louder as she, the newly-discovered female moved to pick up the fallen basketball a few feet away.

Spinning the ball absentmindedly on her forefinger, she languidly made her way towards where she had last seen her belongings.

However, she was abruptly blocked off by a tall male who stood brazenly in her path, dressed in a school uniform which consisted of dark black slacks, a light blue-gray shirt with the sleeves rolled to his elbows and a loosened red silk tie.

She stopped mid-step in order to avoid walking into him, taking in his exotic features before settling for a friendly smile. The male stood at exactly 3 centimetres taller than her, with sharp cerulean eyes, short spiky navy hair parted to the left and dark tanned skin that contrasted nicely with the colour of his light uniform shirt.

"Heh. You aren't bad. " Aomine said shortly, his sharp eyes narrowing challengingly as they slowly raked over the woman's form. _'Man, don't think I've ever met a girl this tall.'_ He mused, feeling rather impressed. Her basketball skills weren't that bad either.

"May I help you?" She asked evenly, not one to be intimidated.

Aomine smirked in response, carelessly tossing his school bag to the ground as his orbs slid from her face towards the ball in her hand pointedly, "Play a game with me."

There was a pause, her relaxed expression remaining unchanged.

For once, the resident basketball prodigy exercised patience, appearing largely unaffected by her scrutiny as he waited for her reply. He knew for a fact that she was examining him, despite the fact that her eyes were perpetually closed. He felt rather curious about her seemingly magical ability to see, but decided to keep his comments to himself in favour of awaiting her reply. _'...Kinda reminds me of that bastard Imayoshi,'_ Aomine thought dully, mentally picturing his captain's ever-smiling face, _'Definitely much prettier though.'_ He added, taking in the woman fairly alluring features and light sandy blonde hair.

"…Unfortunately, I'll have to politely decline your request."

"…Hah?" The taller player blinked in surprise.

Her smile morphed into a placating one, walking around him as she resumed her previous activity of spinning the ball on her slender finger.

Aomine stared after the mysterious woman, slightly shocked that she had brushed him off so easily, his eyes tracking her every movement while she continued on her way.

Undeterred, she easily ignored his penetrating gaze in favour of retrieving her schoolbag from its place on a nearby bench. "Unfortunately, I've wasted enough of my time for today." She intoned almost carelessly, hoisting the item onto your shoulder.

"...Besides, it seems that as usual,"

The mysterious woman stopped at the entrance to the basketball court, fixing the bold challenger with her gaze. Aomine felt his breath hitch as he locked eyes with her, a deep, intimate wine red meeting dark azure. His feet remained rooted to the spot, feeling an odd tingle run down his spine as she delivered her parting words,

"_…The only person who can beat me, is me."_


	2. SHUT UP AND GET BACK TO PRACTICE!

**Author's note: This second chapter is dedicated to all my beloved supporters, especially my first eight reviewers! Thank you very much for all your kind words. :)**

**Disclaimer: Kuroko no Basuke isn't mine. **

* * *

There was certainly something interesting about him. She smiled, putting her hand to her chin in a thoughtful manner as she recalled her meeting with the tall navy haired male from the courts earlier this afternoon.

Her sharp intuition had told her that he was in a calibre of his own. It was in the way he carried himself: His posture, his demeanour, his eyes- everything screamed that he was worth his salt, or at the very least, possessed an unusual, overbearing confidence that she hadn't had the pleasure of encountering in quite a while. She could tell that he was better than the fodder she had beaten so easily back there, significantly so, and it had been a very, _very_ long time since she'd felt this vague bubble of anticipation and intrigue.

Looking down at her bag of newly purchased food products, she allowed a rare frown to grace her features.

Truthfully, the girl would have gladly accepted his invitation to play back there, quite readily she might add, if she hadn't been tasked with the cumbersome duty of buying groceries today.

_'Saa, they do feed me all the time. It's the least I could do.'_ She lightly reminded herself, plastering her usual, easy-going smile on her face once more as she shifted the groceries in her grip, careful to prevent her schoolbag from slipping off her shoulders.

The possibility of finding a worthy opponent was an _**absolute**_ zero anyway...

Suddenly, she faltered mid-step, feeling her phone vibrate rhythmically in signal of an incoming call. Easily retrieving it from the confines of her pocket, she answered it.

_"Where the hell are you?!"_

Her smile widened exponentially, recognising the gruff irritated tones coming from the other end almost instantaneously.

"Oh? Do you miss me already, Yukimatsu-senpai?"

_"IT'S KASAMATSU! GET MY NAME RIGHT ALREADY!"_

_'Ah , that's right.'_ The sandy-blond thought, inwardly sweatdropping as she realised her small blunder. _'Oops.'_

_"Anyway, where are you?! You were supposed to be here today!"_

"Maa, maa. It's only a practice game today, right? I deemed my presence unnecessary." She explained in an airy manner.

_"YOU! STOP JOKING AROUND! YOU HAVEN'T ATTENDED PRACTICE AT ALL SINCE THE SEMESTER BEGAN!"_ Kasamatsu shouted through the phone. She quickly pulled the device away from her ear lest she lose her poor hearing.

"Maa, calm down, senpai. All that anger is definitely not good for you." She said chidingly, smiling wider when she heard a little crack from the other end- Kasamatsu must be holding a pen or something… "The important thing is that I haven't been neglecting anything." She continued, as she turned the corner into a familiar street.

_"Tch, I know that! Just shut up and get your ass here tomorrow afternoon!"_

"_I-yan~!_ How bold of you, senpai~! You shouldn't talk to girls that way or you'll be hated, y'know~!" She teased cheekily, imagining the third year's flustered expression at the mention of the fairer sex. This time, she heard a mighty crack as whatever Kasamatsu was holding completely snapped in half.

_"S-S-SHUT UP! As if I'd care! Listen, if I don't see you in here tomorrow, I'll drag your ass in kicking and screaming!"_

"O-ho! Looking forward to it, senpai." She grinned just as Kasamatsu abruptly cut the line.

* * *

Kise Ryota frowned deeply as he twisted the basketball in his hands, fingering the familiar rubbery texture with his finger pads and eying the dark patterned lines of the ball, immersed in contemplation.

...He had lost.

He had lost to Kurokocchi, he had lost to Kagamicchi. Kaijou had lost to Seirin.

It was hard to believe, but he had actually _**lost.**_

**SMACK!**

"Stop moping and get to practice already!"

"Ow! That hurts, senpai!" The blond whined, gingerly cradling the back of his head.

"Tch, shut up! I thought I told you to get over it yesterday! What the hell are you doing still sulking around like an idiot?!"

The tall golden eyed male pouted, turning to look at his captain sullenly before replying, "…It's my first time losing, I can't get over that defeat so quickly, especially when I'm currently standing in the very place I lost-ssu..."

"Quit your damn whining and get to work!" Kasamatsu Yukio snapped with an angry glare. "I told you we'll pay them back next time, didn't I?!" The raven haired male reprimanded, before turning away from the taller male in a huff. "Tch. All these juniors are really getting on my damn nerves." He muttered, crossing his arms over his chest as he directed another glare towards the entrance of the gym almost expectantly.

Kise paused to stare at the grumbling form of his captain curiously, briefly distracted by the elder's unusual behaviour, before shaking his head as if to snap himself out of it. His captain was right, what was he doing still moping around?

Returning to his usual, charming self, the Kaijou ace prepared to join the ongoing practice. He'd pay Kagamicchi and Kurokocchi back, definitely._ 'Just you wai-'_

"THERE YOU ARE, HACHIOUJI!"

The blond model whipped his head around in shock, startled by the sudden outburst. He watched curiously as his raven haired captain stormed up to a tall figure standing near the gym entrance.

"YOU'RE LATE!" The third year barked, glaring up at the ever smiling visage of the tall girl with his furious silver eyes.

She only smiled wider, "Maa, I'm here, aren't I?"

"You're still late! What the hell were you thinking, skipping practice for so long?!" Kasamatsu demanded, standing his ground.

Kise blinked, his eyes following the strange new proceedings in undisguised intrigue.

The first thing he noticed about the woman was that she was _tall_, as in **very** tall. He was pretty sure she was about his height, something he had never encountered before in a girl.

The second thing was that she looked great in the Kaijou girl's uniform. He noted that she had forgone the customary grey blazer and had loosened her school tie, most likely due to the unusually hot spring weather. Despite appearing a little unkempt, Kise found that he didn't mind- Her current state of dress had made her lean muscled figure all the more easier to appreciate. She had legs that stretched on for miles under the grey mid-thigh length pleated skirt of the Kaijou female uniform, and the pristine white blouse hugged her curves in all the right places. Her champagne shag-cut hair reached her chin in soft spikes, framing her face nicely, with longer more subtle locks spilling over her shoulders, giving her hair a stylish dual-layered look that appeared short at first glance. With an alabaster complexion coupled with her toned physique, she was rather attractive.

The third was that she was taking all of Kasamatsu's harsh reprimanding, and with a pretty happy expression on her face too. _'…Uh, what?'_ Kise could hardly say he approved of Kasamatsu's treatment of her, being a girl and all, but she seemed to be holding her own well enough, judging by her calm and relaxed demeanour.

"-EXPECTED TO ATTEND ALL PRACTICES! YOU'RE MANAGER! ACT LIKE IT!"

_'…M-Manager?'_ Kise thought, eyes widening slightly as she continued to smile, not once revealing her eyes.

"Maa maa, senpai. Calm down." She began, "I got busy during practice times, so I decided it wouldn't matter if I switched things around a bit and got my duties done whenever I could." She fibbed easily, maintaining that light, fox-like smile. She knew that Kasamatsu wouldn't buy such a flimsy excuse, but the fact that she was completing her work on time was true and he couldn't say much.

As long as she got her work done, there really was no problem.

Pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration, the third year turned away to address the members of the Kaijou basketball team, who had all stopped to stare at the strange addition to their gym. "Members, gather!"

* * *

"Everyone," The raven haired captain began, "this is Hachiouji Rokuro, a second year.**[1]** " Kasamatsu introduced tiredly, gesturing at the much taller female standing beside him with a wave of his hand.

The new members blinked, processing this information.

_'…Rokuro? Isn't that a boy's name...?'_ Kise observed as he stared at the female in question, suddenly finding that he was having trouble processing this sudden influx of information. She certainly weren't his ideal image of a high school basketball team manager, a prejudice perhaps strongly attributed to Momoicchi; Certainly, her abnormally tall physique and mischievous easy-going smile contrasted quite starkly against the cute and feminine former manager of Teikou. She didn't act like a regular high school girl either: After all, most would have run away crying at the face of Kasamatsu's wrath.

_'Speaking of which, I thought senpai was bad with girls…'_ The blond model thought, puzzled. The observant first year had noticed that the Kaijou captain wasn't acting like his usual anxious (and admittedly pathetic) self despite his interactions with their newly introduced manager.

"I know you younger members wouldn't know this," The slate grey eyed male explained, cutting into Kise's thoughts. "But Hachiouji has been our manager since last year. For some reason or another," He glared at the second year girl irritably, "She has been absent from practices since the beginning of the new semester." He huffed, obviously still angry. "But she's back now and will be conducting her duties _during_ practice."

Rokuro's smile only widened in response to Kasamatsu's pointed declaration, before she began waving friendlily at the new first years.

"Hachiouji Rokuro, I'll be in your care." The sandy-blond haired female said politely, remaining completely unaffected by the amount of attention she was receiving.

"Hachi-chan~! It's been a while! Where have you been?" Moriyama greeted cheerfully as he walke- no,_ bounded_ up to the tall woman, grinning._ 'Uwah, there goes Moriyama-senpai. Does he really go for girls taller than him?'_ Kise thought with a sweatdrop, eyebrows furrowing.

Rokuro merely smiled once more, waving familiarly at the third year in response, "Ah, Takeyama-senpai, how's it going?"

"It's Moriyama, Hachiouji." The sharp eyed male corrected automatically, before moving on. "But yes, I've been well, very well. Have you set up that goukon you promi-"

"UWOOOH! HACHIOUJI! WHERE WERE YOU YESTERDAY?!" Hayakawa interrupted, violently pushing the sharp eyed third year out of his way as he glared furiously at her. She took the bushy browed second year's loud and startling outburst in stride, appearing rather unfazed by the sudden interruption, though Kise noted that the champagne haired female had taken a discrete step back from the rambunctious boy.

"Nowhere in particular, really." She answered, waving the enthusiastic rebound specialist off. "I heard that there was an unexpected outcome though." She stated, almost too cheerfully to be polite. Kise flinched at that, wondering if she were taking a jibe at him.

_'We haven't even met yet!'_ He mentally cried, scolding himself for being overly-sensitive. _Or was he?_

"OI! IF YOU'RE OUR MANAGER, YOU SHOULD HAVE BEEN THERE!" Hayakawa reprimanded, pointing an accusing finger at Rokuro's face while stomping his feet in anger. Her apparent nonchalance definitely pissed him off. However, her lax expression continued to remain unchanged. _'Seriously, is it a default setting or something?! How uncute!' _

"Maa, it's just a practice game, Asakawa.**[2]**" She replied, her tone remaining polite, ignoring the brown haired second year's furious shout of "IT'S HAYAKAWA, DAMN IT!"

Kise blinked slowly, watching the both of them interact with rapt interest.

That confirmed it, she definitely stood at his height- After all, she was roughly an inch taller than Hayakawa-senpai.

"-AND WHAT SORT OF EXCUSE IS THAT?! YOU'RE OUR MANAG-"

"Ignore the idiot, Hachiouji! How about that mixer you promised?" Moriyama jumped in once again, roughly shoving the power forward away as he addressed her.

Rokuro laughed bluntly, "Wow, you must be pretty desperate, Koriyama-senpai."

"It's Moriyama. Hachiouji, seriously, what about it?"

"HACHIOUJI! ANSWER ME!"

_'What did I do to deserve this…?'_ Kasamatsu thought miserably, absentmindedly dodging a wild swing from Hayakawa as both he and Moriyama slipped into a loud argument about who got to talk to the Kaijou manager first. Meanwhile, the three of them were then joined by a quiet Kobori Kouji, who greeted Rokuro with a simple nod.

It wasn't long before Moriyama and Hayakawa's argument escalated into a full on fist fight, somehow managing to drag the usually quiet and stoic Kobori into it.

The first years watched, fascinated at the inevitable chaos, as their much respected senpai began to bicker like overgrown kids on a playground, flinging below-the-belt insults at each other and stray punches before their very eyes. Some openly gaped as they witnessed the usually mature and straight-laced Kobori deliver a quick swipe at Hayakawa's head while others flinched at the unspeakably crude language that was being broadcasted courtesy of Moriyama and Hayakawa's loud mouths, lamenting the loss of their virgin ears.

Rokuro however, remained standing where she was, watching on the sidelines with a highly amused smile plastered on her pretty face.

Kasamatsu felt his brow twitch in irritation.

…She was definitely enjoying this.

"-UWOOH! I'M GONNA MAKE SURE ALL MY REBOUNDS BOUNCE OFF OF YOUR UGLY FACE!"

"I can't understand you, you dumbass rebound freak!"**[3]**

"Speak clearly, Asakawa, or I'll hit you."

"WHAT?! KOBORI-SAN, THAT'S NOT FAIR! I- OW!"

"I warned you."

"Haha! Nice one, Kobor- Ow! What the hell, man?!"

"You annoy me."

"Well, screw yo- Ouch! That was a cheap shot, you bloody brat!"

All the first years shuffled around nervously as they soon realised that the group of seniors showed no sign of stopping anytime soon. It was certainly bad timing that Coach Takeuchi was away today.

Kise allowed his golden eyes to swivel towards Kasamatsu, whom he noted, had begun clenching his fists, his shoulders trembling in obvious rage and his head lowered, casting a dark shadow over his eyes. Slowly but surely, they're esteemed captain was slowly approaching his boiling point...

"-GYAH! _Shit!_ You moronic bastard, you _**bit**_ me!"

"UWOOOOH! THAT'S WHAT YOU GET FOR CALLING ME A BRAT, YOU BASTARD NANPA-YAMA!**[4]**

"You stupid little bitc- OW! Kobori! What the fuc-"

"You're being immature, Moriyama."

"Immature?! _Immature?!_ I'll _show_ you immature, you stupid motherf-"**[5]**

**SNAP!** **[6]**

"SHUT UP AND GET BACK TO PRACTICE!"

* * *

**[1]** Hachiouji Rokuro written as 八王子 六郎 in Kanji. There's actually a reason behind her name and why I'm mentioning how it's written. **Hint!** 'Hachiouji' means eight princes while 'Rokuro' means sixth son. It's an unconventional name for a girl, but that seems to be the trend these days…

**[2]** Hayakawa's full name is written as Hayakawa Mitsuhiro (早川充洋). The first character of his surname can also be read as 'Asa'. Hence, Rokuro calling him 'Asakawa'. Whether she does this naming quirk on purpose or not is another issue entirely.

**[3]** When excited, Hayakawa has a strange tendency to skip over certain letters when he's speaking, thus making it difficult to understand him and thus, Moriyama's retort. However, for reading purposes, I didn't actually portray this in my writing.

**[4]** Nanpa-yama: 'Nanpa' means flirty or womanising behaviour. Asakawa is basically making a jibe at Moriyama's flirtatious nature when it comes to females by butchering his surname with the word.

**[5]** Somehow, I made Moriyama possess a quite a potty mouth when he's angry. It kinda just turned out that way, but I'm pretty sure this is normal for a bunch of high-school boys. Haha.

**[6]** Kasamatsu should seriously watch his blood pressure.


	3. This person is seriously weird…

**Author's note: Enjoy! **

**Disclaimer: Do not own Kuroko no Basket. **

* * *

Hachiouji watched with growing amusement as the Kaijou Basketball team scrambled away in a mess of flailing limbs and panicked shouts, desperate to return themselves to practice. None of them were willing to mess with a truly pissed Kasamatsu Yukio. His wrath was pretty much legendary and those who'd experienced it never wanted to repeat the ordeal again.

The nationally renowned point guard was captain for a reason.

"...Hachiouji."

"Hai, senpai?"

"Go and keep an eye on the second string. I don't need you loitering around here causing any more trouble." Kasamatsu ordered sternly, forcing himself to calm down from his previous outburst. The shorter male crossed his arms over his chest in an authoritative manner, glaring up at the tall champagne haired female assertively.

"Of course, captain." Rokuro responded compliantly. She was largely unfazed by Kasamatsu's harsh tone. However, the fact that she was obeying him in the first place spoke volumes of her respect. The Kaijou manager smiled almost wistfully, walking away to grab a familiar clipboard from a nearby bench, intent on doing as she was told.

She studiously ignored the prodding gaze coming from a certain pair of golden eyes from afar.

* * *

"Kasamatsu-senpai."

"What is it Kise?" The third year huffed out, dabbing tiredly at his perspiration with a towel. Today's practice was even more strenuous than usual, as it should be. The captain was not willing to let his loss against Seirin yesterday go. Not to mention, there was the upcoming Inter-High.

"Ah, well, about Hachiouji-senpai..." The blond haired first year started off, his golden eyes swiveling to glance at the second year girl from across the gym as she conversed with one of the second string members, her ever present smile on her face.

It was unnerving how she never seemed to do without it.

"Ha? What about her?" Kasamatsu raised a brow.

"…A-Ano, she's uh, different, isn't she?" Kise threw in casually. The teen was incredibly curious about the captain and Hachiouji's…odd relationship, if it could even be called that.

After all, Kise had personally witnessed Kasamatsu's weakness with girls, and the fact that the Kaijou's captain acted so forward was seriously bothering the inquisitive first year. He could still remember the day when he stumbled upon his captain's 'secret'…

_Kise hummed in content. He had taken the opportunity to wander around the school, having managed to escape his fans for once. Despite often being the one to encourage all the attention, it did get a little tiresome when they attempted to maul his clothes off, an occurrence that happened one time too many. _

"_A-Ano, senpai…"_

'_Whoops!' Kise took a step back, hiding himself behind the corner closest to him. It would have been bad if he had accidentally stumbled into something awkward. _

_Unable to contain himself, the blond poked his head out of the corner in avid interest. It was an act that would have earned him much chiding from Midorimacchi and Kurokocchi if they were here. _

'_Well, I guess it's a good thing that they're not. Huh? Wait a minute, is that Kasamatsu-senpai?' _

_The first year blinked as if to reconfirm the odd sight. Indeed, he had stumbled across his new-found basketball captain, who was currently in the company of an unknown first year girl. It was hard to forget the person who had so blatantly put him in his place at the basketball club induction meeting three days ago._

'_It's a confession.' Kise automatically thought with no small amount of certainty, taking in the girl's anxious behaviour. It was hard not to assume, considering the isolated hallway and the serene yet romantic backdrop that the wide windows provided. _

_Although not quite understanding why such a delicate and regular looking girl would go for the hard-ass captain in the first place, the blond was interested nonetheless. He didn't really have much of a boundary when it came to privacy, especially when it came to those who interested him.  
_

'…_Does he even **look** at girls?' The golden eyed male briefly wondered. Honestly, Kasamatsu didn't seem like the type, considering his overly serious nature. He was what Kise would classify as a 'stick in the mud' really.  
_

_Kise perked up when the girl began to speak, focusing his attention once more on the scene. _

"..._A-Ano, do you happen to know where the faculty room is? I'm sorry, but I'm rather lost." The unidentified girl asked nervously, fidgeting slightly with her hands. _

'_Oh, she's just asking for directions.' Kise frowned in deep disappointment, realising that his brilliant idea had been incorrect.  
_

_There was a brief silence from Kasamatsu's end, probably the third year mulling over an answer. _

"_G-G-!"_

_The blond model blinked at the strange sound coming from his captain. _

"…_S-Senpai?"_

"_G-G-G-ugh!"_

…_Seriously, was the man **choking?** _

"_G-G-!" Kasamatsu perspired profusely, mentally fumbling over his words and suddenly feeling strangely asphyxiated.  
_

_From his corner, Kise blinked. The third year's usually healthy complexion had grown a concerning red, and his wild unfocused eyes reflected that he wasn't quite alright up there either._

'..._U-Um, s-senpai? I-It's okay. I'm sorry for the trouble.' The girl hastily said, taking a step back cautiously. _

_She'd apparently sensed the third year's instability.  
_

_Seeing this, Kasamatsu moved forward to stop her, obviously intent on helping her despite his current nerves. However, in an unusual display of clumsiness, the slate grey eyed male abruptly tripped on his feet, his head colliding with the glass window adjacent to him painfully._

_**BANG! CRASH!**_

"_KYAAA! Are you alright?!" _

...Needless to say, the first year didn't get her directions, and Kasamatsu had been rushed away to the infirmary in a frenzy.

Which thus draws Kise back to the present, three weeks later...

There was a brief pause as the raven haired captain absorbed the blonde's odd statement. It was full of implications, ones the point guard wasn't sure he liked.

"…What are you trying to say, Kise?" He asked suspiciously.

The usually composed teen model squirmed uncomfortably, suddenly feeling rather nervous. For the first time, Kise cursed his nosiness; indeed, the entire situation had the potential to escalate into a world of hurt for him.

"W-Well, I was wondering why…"

Yukio narrowed his eyes at the blond male, grabbing his water bottle with the intent on hydrating himself. The grey eyed male inwardly debated if he should kick him or not. The first year was up to something, he could feel it.

"I-I mean, uh, I… I heard from Moriyama-senpai that you were bad with girls! S-So..." The blond haired male blurted, mentally apologising to his flirtatious senpai for dragging him into this. No doubt the repercussions would be large for the shooting guard.

The basketball team captain choked on his water in shock, turning to cast a quick but effective glare at his fellow third year standing innocently a ways away. _'Damn that Moriyama!'_

"…Ano, senpai?"

"I-I'm not bad with girls, idiot! Besides, Hachiouji doesn't count!" Kasamatsu rebutted, flushing heavily as he turned pointedly away from the first year, throwing his towel over his head to conceal his embarrassment. The last thing he needed was for Kise to think he was an idiot. "That woman isn't a girl!" He added hastily, not caring how rude or contradictory he sounded.

There was a pause as Kise eyed the older male sceptically.

"That's mean, senpai." Both men jumped in surprise as the resident female manager suddenly joined in on their conversation, easily sliding her arm around Kasamatsu's broad shoulders in an overly familiar manner. Kise swore that she had appeared out of_ nowhere_.

Leaning heavily on Kasamatsu despite his heavily perspiring form, Rokuro continued, "I can't believe your words of hurt."

...This girl obviously had no qualms about invading personal space.

"G-GYAH! GET OFF OF ME, HACHIOUJI!" The third year captain flailed, wide-eyed and understandably agitated.

The sandy-blond haired female faked a small frown, causing the Kaijou captain to glow positively red.

"You should treat me more delicately, senpai. I mean, I _am_ a girl, y'know. Well, the last time I checked anyway."

"L-L-LIKE HELL YOU ARE! N-NOW GET OFF OF ME, DAMNIT!" Kasamatsu shouted.

Abruptly, the grey eyed male reeled, swallowing thickly when he spotted Rokuro's slender fingers lift an edge of her grey skirt up almost dangerously high, exposing more of her smooth alabaster skin...

"Y-You! W-What do you think you're doing?!" He demanded, near-hysterical.

The sandy-blonde smirked darkly, moving her lips to his ear, "…Wanna see?" She whispered seductively.

"GUAGH! STOP THAT!" Kasamatsu flailed, hastily cupping said ear and squeezing his eyes shut. It took all his self-control not to shove the tall female away from him. Really, his mother's teachings were infinitely troublesome sometimes!

Seeing this, the second year girl released the flustered point guard, taking a step back with a low snicker.

"Y-You-!" The raven haired male began in indignation, struggling to find words through his heavy panting. "JUST WHAT KIND OF GIRL ARE YOU?!"

"So I'm a girl after all, senpai?" Rokuro grinned foxily, unaffected by Kasamatsu's furious state.

Kise Ryota gaped at the scene, utterly aghast.

* * *

"You must be the first year that I've heard so much about. It's a pleasure to meet you." Hachiouji greeted Kise. The blond gawked at her, amazed. She was strangely composed, despite having just endured one of Kasamatsu's infamous lectures without batting an eye.

Seriously, those lectures made grown men _weep_ for goodness' sake.

"It's Kasa Ryuji-kun, right?"

Kise sweat-dropped before correcting her, "It's Kise Ryota-ssu."

"Don't bother Kise," Kasamatsu cut in, his expression reflecting how exhausted he was feeling from dealing with her, "this woman never gets names right."

"Saa, I'm sure I'm not entirely hopeless, Kamamatsu-senpai." She denied in her usual polite fashion, causing the third year to glare fiercely at her.

"YES YOU ARE! AND IT'S KASAMATSU, DAMN IT!"

"Haha, my mistake." Hachiouji replied, not sounding very sorry at all and causing the nationally acclaimed point guard to positively **_fume_**.

Kise briefly wondered if she _enjoyed_ making Kasamatsu lose his temper.

"So, I hear you're pretty good at basketball, Kira-kun."

"Y-Yes…Though that's not my name-ssu..."

"Oh, I'm terribly sorry." She apologised politely, though truthfully, it sounded sarcastic, "It's Kiku-kun, right?"

"It's Kise, Hachiouji_. Kise. Ryota_." Kasamatsu sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose in exasperation. "He just told you a few seconds ago."

Kise inwardly grimaced as the strange second year began to chuckle. It wasn't that he couldn't handle the eccentric woman per se… Heck! He'd dealt with quite the odd bunch back in middle school if he said so himself. It was more of the fact that he had never dealt with such an odd_ girl _before, not to mention one so damn unreadable- Also, what was with her and names?!

Seriously, Momoicchi was _mild _compared to her.

'_This person is seriously weird…' _Kise concluded, completely ignoring his inner gentleman, who was nagging at him for thinking of a woman in such a way. Meanwhile, Kasamatsu had proceeded to inflict her with another lecture about her strange inability to remember people's names.

The second year merely smiled amicably, obviously not taking the third year captain very seriously.

'..._Yup, insanely weird…'_

* * *

"…So, why did you become Kaijou's manager, Hachiouji-senpai?" Kise asked as they made their way home after the day's practice. Coincidentally, the three of them, namely Hachiouji, Kise and Kasamatsu, were all headed in the same direction. Despite her weirdness, the blond had decided that she was rather entertaining to be around, _especially _while in the presence of his captain.

She was also very polite, in a rather mocking, yet clever sort of way. It was an interesting change of pace from the bunch of rowdy teenage boys and squealing fan girls Kise usually dealt with.

'_She really is…smiley, though.' _He thought, recalling the fact that not once had he seen her eyes. Her expressions had a sly foxy quality to them, which highlighted her mischievous nature perfectly. Kise felt his usual 'bout of curiosity arise. He was eager to find out more about this strange second year. After all, they'd be working on the same team from now on, so it only made sense that they got to know each other.

"Saa, I apologise, Kenta-kun, but unfortunately, it's a long, heartbreaking story filled with despair, drama and tears. It might leave you uncomfortable, and I'd rather that not happen, considering this is our first meeting." Rokuro replied smoothly, earning a look of confusion from the blond and a derisive snort from the raven haired third year accompanying them.

"It's Kise. Get the kid's name right already, Hachiouji." Kasamatsu lightly reprimanded, adjusting the straps of his schoolbag on his shoulder, "And tears my ass, you were smiling like you always do when you first became manager."

"You never know senpai, I might have been crying on the inside. After all, if I remember right, it was you who recruited me for manager, and you were pretty forceful about it too ~!" Rokuro finished with a suggestive tone, glancing at the older male.

"Stop saying things that will cause misunderstandings!" Kasamatsu snapped, "Also, as I recall it was _you_ who asked me if you could be one in the first place!"

"Maa, you really don't have any delicacy, senpai. No wonder there aren't any girls who like you."

"STOP BRINGING GIRLS INTO THIS!"

The light-sand haired second year grinned impishly once again. Obviously, she enjoyed getting under the eldest of the three's skin.

"So you asked Kasamatsu-senpai for the position?" Kise piped in. Although entertained by their banter, he was quickly feeling left out of the conversation that the two older students were having. It was obvious that they were good friends, despite their rather odd and dysfunctional relationship.

"Yes. I had nothing more productive to do with my time." Hachiouji answered, looking straight at the path ahead.

"…I see." The blond blinked, unable to stifle his growing curiosity. He glanced at his captain for confirmation.

...Going by Kasamatsu's unusual expression, there was definitely more to the story than the second year female was willing to let on.

"By the way, senpai, the second string's overall performance has declined in comparison to last semester." The sandy-blond haired female stated out of the blue, "I assume it's because the new first years are unable to cope with the intensity of the training."

'_She changed the subject,'_ Kise noted. It was done almost seamlessly too. The blond haired model was rather familiar with conversational tactics; he was pretty adept at it himself considering it came with his part-time job.

"I see. I expected as much. I'll leave you in charge of adjusting the second string's training plan. I need to go over our own as well . The regulars need to concentrate on Inter-High." Kasamatsu replied seriously as he glanced up at the tall female. His quick uptake to her statement meant that the raven-haired third year was content with letting the entire subject drop.

"Not a problem. Ah, that's right senpai, I want a burger set from Maji Burger."

"H-Huh?!"

"I don't mind a parfait to go with it either. I mean, I did work pretty hard today."

"W-What?! What the hell are you going on about?!"

"Eh, that's strange. You're not treating me today?"

"W-Why would I be treating _**you?!**"_

"Don't worry, senpai. I'm sure you don't have a girlfriend to treat anyway~!"

"Y-You-! For the last time, Hachiouji! Stop bringing girls into this!" The raven haired male shouted as he stopped to glare fiercely at the younger girl.

Kise's liquid gold eyes alternated between the bickering pair with a mixture of contemplation and amusement on his face.

There was certainly something mysterious about Kaijou High's female manager.

* * *

"The team was working unusually hard today." Rokuro commented, glancing at her companion with a curious look on her face. Kasamatsu returned the look with a knowing one of his own. The pair had left Kise at the last intersection, seeing how it was the blond haired first year's route home.

"Might it have something to do with your loss from yesterday?" She asked, referring to the Seirin practice match.

"Tch. Don't ask about things you already know the answer to, idiot." Kasamatsu retorted.

"Saa, Seirin must have taken you by surprise." His sandy-blond haired companion hummed in contemplation

"You don't sound all that surprised yourself, Hachiouji." Yukio observed calmly, "Were you expecting this or something?"

"Saa, who knows?" She replied, her smile once again slipping into place.

Seeing this, Kasamatsu grumbled under his breath. He really hated that stupid mask of hers.

"But from what I've seen of today's performance, the loss against Seirin can only be a good thing for Kaijou." She continued.

It was true, no one had taken the loss lightly at all. It had only motivated them to practice harder- particularly, Kise. The basketball captain had a good feeling that the male would only improve from now on, something Kasamatsu secretly anticipated. As annoying as he was, Kise Ryota was still a member of the highly revered Generation of Miracles, and his growth would only contribute to Kaijou's victory.

"Ah. From now on, the stupid idiot can only work harder." Kasamatsu stated.

"Hm? 'Idiot'? Oh, you mean Kirara-kun?" Rokuro questioned.

"Y-Yeah. Him." Kasamatsu managed through a snort of laughter, not even bothering to correct her.

The raven haired male tried to contain his amusement, he really did.

...But, really, _Kirara-kun? _**[1]**

"You seem rather fond of him, senpai." Rokuro observed, noting the usually stern male's blatant amusement. Her statement caused the shorter male to pause in his stride, looking up at her inquisitively.

"What do you mean by that, Hachiouji?"

"Oh, nothing," she sang, "I just hope you aren't cheating on me~!"

The Kaijou manager grinned when she saw her current companion flush a deep crimson in a mixture of embarrassment and anger.

"S-SHUT UP! WHO THE HELL'S CHEATING ON WHO?!"

* * *

**[1]** Kirara: Similar sounding to the Japanese sound effect "kirakira", which is used for glittery, shiny objects. It's also a female name, therefore Kasamatsu's amusement.


	4. You're even weaker than I thought

**Author's note: Here's the fourth chapter! I personally had some fun writing this one. Apologies for the delay! **

**Disclaimer: Kuroko no Basuke isn't mine. **

* * *

"There you are, Aomine-kun!"

Aomine cringed, sliding an eye open to glare at the sudden invader of his reprieve in distaste. Seriously, why did Satsuki _insist _on calling him by his last name?

It was damn creepy.

Not to mention, it reminded him of how his mother addressed his dad when they were in their disgusting 'lovey-dovey' mode.

Ugh, just _ugh…_

"Mou, you should stop skipping classes already! Do you know how troublesome it is to be sent on a manhunt for you every other day?!" Momoi whined, hands on her hips and delicate brows furrowed into a frustrated frown. She was tired of always being elected to track Aomine. Despite his sub-par academic skills, he had a knack for finding the most ideal spots for goofing off. The pink-haired female had searched far and wide for him after determining that he was still in school. It was only through her extensive information network that she had finally managed to narrow it down to the large tree behind the school tennis courts. Geez, whoever broadcasted the fact that they were childhood friends was going to pay once she found out!

She swore it on her future date with Kuroko-kun!

Aomine cast the rose-haired girl a brief glance, his bored expression reflecting how much he didn't care for her plight. He was sprawled out leisurely at the base of the tree, its dark shadow sheltering him from the afternoon sun with a light breeze tickling his cheek: The perfect location for a wonderful nap.

"Stop being so annoying, Satsuki." The tall navy haired male grouched, allowing his body to settle further into the soft verdant ground.

"Geez, you're such a pain_,_ Dai-chan." Momoi whined unhappily. She was quick to realise that Aomine wasn't intent on moving from his spot anytime soon. The tan skinned male watched idly from his position as the girl's dark pink eyes flashed in irritation, reminding him of a certain dark wine red he had encountered not too long ago.

He paused to mentally weigh his options…

"…Oi, Satsuki," Aomine began, apparently deciding to just go for it. "Have you heard of any tall female basketball players lately?"

"Eh?"

"I met an interesting woman recently, she's tall- about my height…" Aomine probed further, closing his eyes to hide his keen interest. He knew that asking Satsuki would be a gamble, one that risked getting laughed at. However, he really was out of options. The Touou manager was the most resourceful person that he knew and she _did _possess knowledge in a wide variety of areas - Perhaps women's basketball wouldn't be a stretch?

Aomine refrained from rolling his eyes when he heard the scandalised gasp, _'There she goes.'_

"A-Aomine-kun, are you asking me for information _about a girl?!"_ Momoi squeaked out, not bothering to hide her surprise. Her tone had taken on an indignant squeak, one that grated harshly on his ears.

The male merely grunted in affirmation, not trusting himself to lash out at her in annoyance.

'_You, are an idiot.'_ He mentally scolded himself, the full consequences of posing his little question suddenly hitting him like a tonne of bricks. Momoi Satsuki was known for being a gossip, and he was referring to those squealing, excitable types.

_**SLAP!**_

The sharp sound of palm meeting skin resounded through the air, causing Aomine to jolt up in surprise.

The Touou ace felt his brows arch in incredulity, his sharp eyes zeroing in on the glowing red mark currently marring Satsuki's pale cheek, "…what are you doing?"

There was a short pause as Momoi gathered herself, rubbing her sore skin tenderly to ease the pain.

"…I-I wanted to check if I was dreaming…" Momoi replied weakly with a wince, "Aomine-kun, you're really asking me about a girl? As in, _really?"_

"Tch, stop being dramatic Satsuki and just tell me if you've heard of her or not." The navy haired male said brusquely, settling down once more on the soft grass.

"I- I… I CAN'T _**BELIEVE IT**_!_"_

Aomine flinched at her volume; her tone reaching an entirely new pitch that he wasn't even sure whether regular humans could achieve.

"Y-You- You're talking about a _girl_ and **not** just her boob size!" Momoi cried with a strange mixture of confusion and delight, her hands flying to cover her mouth in her excitement. She even began performing an odd wiggly dance, clearly unable to contain the extent of her joy.

"Oh my god! This… You're not asking for her three sizes either! This is amazing Dai-chan! Wait, no, it's _**FANTASTIC!**_**[**1]"

The pink haired woman was ecstatic- Was Dai-chan finally growing out of his stupidity?!

Quickly, the tanned skinned male sat up once again, casting a dark glare at his childhood friend in agitation.

"Oi! What the hell is that supposed to mean?!"

* * *

Rokuro hummed softly under her breath, well aware of the prodding gazes coming from a group of young grade-school kids nearby, all of whom saw fit to marvel at her unusual height.

'_Oh,_ _I guess school would have ended for them by now.' _ She thought cheerily, sounding way too happy, even for her. She felt her lips stretch even further into her signature fox-like smile at the thought, causing some of the grade-schoolers who had been watching her closely to gasp in fright.

Ah yes, Hachiouji Rokuro was simply _delighted _today.

She chuckled to herself, fingering a piece of her silken champagne coloured hair. The second year manager had once more succeeded in eluding the ever diligent Kasamatsu Yukio, proving yet again that she was, and always will be at the top of her game.

Kasamatsu was going to be completely furious.

'_Oh well.'_

"Now, what shall I do today?" She mused aloud, placing a slender finger to her chin in thought; her attire, which consisted of a form-fitting black tank top and a pair of loose basketball shorts that hung low on her hips, spoke volumes of her impending decision.

* * *

_**Meanwhile…**_

'_Damn Ossan, can't he hand out training menus __**before**__ practice?'_ _[2] _Kasamatsu thought in agitation, his eyes fervently scanning the sheets of paper before him. Although his work was respectable, the coach seriously needed to improve on his timing; Practice was **NOT** the time to be going over training menus!

"Hachiouji, I need you to hand me the performance charts for the non-regulars." The captain requested absentmindedly, not once looking up from the clipboard that Coach Takeuchi had handed to him a few moments prior.

A tense silence ensued in the Kaijou High School gym. The regulars, who had just finished their warm-ups, all paused to exchange meaningful glances with one another, clearly aware of something that their busy captain was not.

Deciding to rectify the situation, one brave soul took to the reins.

"Uh... Senpai?"

"What is it, Kise?" Yukio asked, easily identifying the Kaijou Ace despite being otherwise occupied. The Kaijou Basketball Captain was determined to familiarise himself with the coach's data before intensive practices began.

"…Hachiouji-senpai isn't here."

"…"

"…"

"_**WHAT?!" **_

* * *

"WHERE THE HELL DID SHE GO?! GOD DAMN IT, THAT WOMAN IS ALWAYS GOING AROUND CAUSING ALL KINDS OF TROUBLE! WHEN I GET MY HANDS ON HER I SWEAR I'LL-"

Kise Ryota shrugged helplessly in response, eying his captain carefully as the older male practically destroyed the clipboard currently clutched in his hand.

"Uh, Captain…?" Someone hesitantly interrupted, causing most of the regulars to look on in incredulity. Kise had been stupid enough, but now _this?_

It was Nakamura Shinya, a second year and one of the more prominent players on the Kaijou regular team. Unfortunately, his position on the regulars had been usurped by the recent appearance of Kise, and the shooting guard was assigned as a reserve.

"_What, _Nakamura?_**"**_

"…Uh, well, I think manager left a note." The second year continued, pointing directly at Hayakawa.

"…Huh?"

This time, it was the ever reliable Moriyama who chose to verbalise everybody's thoughts. The rest of the Kaijou regulars cast Nakamura confused looks, some worrying for the bespectacled male's sanity. That is, until he chose to elaborate, "It's on Hayakawa, Captain."

"What?! What did I do?!" The thick browed second year squawked in indignation when he felt all eyes on him, Kasamatsu's included.

The Kaijou captain growled angrily once he connected the dots. Roughly, he snatched the crumpled piece of paper taped blatantly onto Hayakawa's back, all the while muttering a string of dark curses under his breath.

He paused to read Hachiouji's neat print:

_To my dearest Senpai, _

_I didn't see much more I could do here, so I left~! _[Insert her infuriating laughter here.]

_Please thank Nakimura-kun for me for being my messenger; he's such a great guy. I'm sure if I'd left it up to Masakawa, he wouldn't have noticed, and I'd be in quite a spot of trouble… [3] Really, Nakimura-kun knows me so well! _

_Well, have fun and don't work too hard! I'd hate to be the one stuck burying your bodies in the schoolyard!_

_-Hachiouji._

_P.S. Kindly look to your left~! _

Obediently, the slate-gray eyed male turned his head, only to be met with the sight of a long table tucked away in an unobtrusive corner of the gym. Arranged neatly upon it were various energy sports drinks and refreshments, enough to cater to the whole club; Yukio could even identify some of his favourite ones from the large assortment. There was also a stack of neatly organised clipboards at the edge of the table, along with a couple of buckets filled with medical tape placed right under it. Folded neatly on a chair next to the table, were fresh sports towels for those of who had forgotten their own, as was often the case with his team, ready for use.

...Kasamatsu felt his eye twitch.

* * *

With a grunt, Kagami Taiga jumped, extending his arms up and forward to release the ball towards the hoop in an arc. The crimson haired male smirked, jogging forth to retrieve the fallen ball when it made it through. Dribbling it easily with his right hand, he made his way back to the free-throw line, intent on practicing his dunks. There wasn't any club today as coach had demanded they rehabilitate and give their muscles a chance to recover.

Eh, as if he'd comply.

Kagami slipped into position, surveying the backboard in a calculative manner.

Breathing deeply, the tall male sprinted forward towards his goal while dribbling his basketball in one hand. He coiled his powerful muscles tightly before leaping into the air with a loud cry, eyes trained solely on the ring while he raised his arm in the customary position for his signature dunk.

_Swoosh. _

"GYAH!"

_**Bang! **_

Kagami hissed, scrunching his eyes in pain as he remained sprawled on the floor of the court, having just experienced a rather harsh landing from mid-air. Gingerly, the crimson haired male attempted to get up, rubbing at his sore behind the whole while.

"O-Ow…"

'_What the hell happened?!' _

As he recalled, a foreign basketball had appeared out of nowhere and scored right in front of his very eyes, just as the crimson eyed male was about to dunk. It was so sudden that it had startled him out of his wits, causing him to lose his momentum at the last moment and throw himself off balance.

Kagami growled in annoyance, his bubbling rage effectively ebbing the ache of his fall away. If there was a ball being shot around, there had to be a jerk who shot it. The male whipped his head around, his mouth opened to fling a few choice words at the mysterious perpetrator.

"HEY! WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?!"

Rokuro chuckled in amusement from her place on the outer edges of the public court, her hand covering her mouth to hide her laughter.

"I-I apologise," She managed through her chortles,"I wasn't aware you were there."

Kagami growled, storming up to her in fury. Like hell he'd believe a stupid excuse like that! She should've seen him clear as day!

"_'Unaware'_ my ass! I was just about to dunk!"

Rokuro merely smiled in faux apology, briefly noting that she was shorter than him by a tiny margin- She seemed to be encountering a lot of tall people these days.

The pale-skinned girl was quickly finding the male's outburst to be rather hilarious. It reminded her of a certain third year captain when he was angry. '_Though perhaps without as much restraint.'_ She mused, grinning when she received a spine-chilling glare. The crimson haired male was sharper than he looked. He was annoyed with her so-called 'pleasantries', his fiery red eyes glowering back at her.

She noted that his eyes were a shade darker than her own.

"You! Are you listening to me?!" Kagami demanded angrily, pointing an accusing finger at her. "Trying to score while someone is near the hoop is dangerous! Just what the hell are you doing?!"

"Doing?" Hachiouji tilted her head in a confused manner, before stating as if it was obvious, "Saa, I'm simply just taking a walk."

"THAT'S NOT WHAT I MEANT AND YOU KNOW IT!" The crimson haired male snapped.

"Hahaha! I see. My apologies." She returned airily. Kagami fumed as she laughed. He was bad at dealing with these manipulative types- They knew exactly how to piss him off!

Gradually, the strange girl's laughter died down, her smile unexpectedly slipping from her face as she addressed the Seirin first year once more. "I really am sorry," She repeated, this time with a little sincerity to her tone before continuing, "However, I am inclined to correct you on something…"

Kagami's brows furrowed when he heard her voice drop an octave, feeling a little apprehensive and annoyed. The feeling was proven right when his own dark red eyes clashed with a pair of narrowed vermillion orbs, prompting a shiver to run down his spine.

"I wasn't _trying_ to score,"

'…_This woman…'_

"I _**did**_."

'…_She has the same aura as Kise…'_ [4]

* * *

"…Heh." Kagami released a short laugh, earning a curious look from the sandy-blonde girl before him.

"Hm? Is something the matter?"

"I get it." The younger boy voiced, placing a hand on his hip in a cocky manner. He had recovered from his bewilderment rather quickly, a blazing fire alight in his eyes as he said in a challenging tone, "If that's the case, then as an apology, why don't you play a round with me?"

'_I don't usually play girls, but whatever.' _Kagami thought. To him, basketball was basketball, and strong opponents were strong opponents. It didn't matter whether they were male or female. If she was as good as her aura was suggesting, he wanted to pit himself against her.

He watched as the strange female tilted her head in thought, her fox-like smile once again reappearing on her face.

"Saa, you sound like you're trying to hassle me for a date." Rokuro returned teasingly.

Kagami sputtered at her words, his face flushing darkly to match the colour of his hair.

"W-WHAT?! THAT'S NOT IT, STUPID! I WAS JUST ASKING FOR A GAME! LISTEN TO OTHERS WHEN THEY TALK TO YOU-"

"…Alright."

"I MEAN, WHO'D DATE _YOU _IN THE FIRST PL-...Eh?"

"I agree to the game." Rokuro replied carelessly with a shrug, "I suppose I don't have anything better to do." Experience had told her to keep her expectations low. Nonetheless, despite feeling rather unimpressed with his one-man practice earlier, she could sense some sort of hidden potential in him, something she hoped he would reveal during the game.

...

"Oh, and I'll go on a date with you if you win~!"

That, and it was fun to tease him.

"S-SHUT UP!"

* * *

Kagami Taiga grinned in anticipation as he bounced the ball easily in his hand, his stance crouched low. He eyed his opponent with a strange intensity that was characteristic only to him. Rokuro smiled at this, scuffing the tip of her shoe against the three-point line a few times before shifting to adopt a similar stance.

The position she had adopted was the basics of the basics. It wasn't extraordinary, which was the impression she was aiming for in order to coax him into driving past her guard. She smiled wider when, just as predicted, the male began to move.

Quicker than he could respond, she chose the opportune moment to spear the ball away from him mid-bounce, brushing past him easily to gain possession of the rubbery sphere as it shot out behind him.

'_I- I couldn't react at all!' _Kagami thought with no small amount of surprise, turning around to stare at the tall girl with wide eyes. She looked back at him in turn, all the while bouncing the ball, a mocking smile plastered on her face.

"Saa, I guess you'll need to try harder than that." She taunted.

Hearing this, Kagami smirked in response.

"Heh. Too bad for you, but one steal isn't enough to get me going."

Rokuro merely hummed in return.

* * *

'_Shit! She's fast!'_

Kagami grunted from the effort as he sprinted after her. It had been four minutes since the game started and so far, she had scored six points while he had scored none.

Quickly catching up to her, the crimson haired male took a tall defensive stance, shifting his right foot forward in an attempt to force her into driving past him through his left. Rokuro smirked when she noticed this. Of course she wasn't fooled by his obvious baiting; he was clearly underestimating her. Quickly increasing the speed of her dribble, the sandy-blond haired girl performed an agile crossover to the right, completely by-passing the taller male before he could adjust his direction.

'_Damn it!' _ Kagami gritted his teeth in frustration when he realised she had eluded him once more, twisting in an attempt to catch up to her once again. He had been hoping that her speed would hinder her judgement through some form of tunnel vision. The tall girl was incredibly fast, and he was barely keeping up. Heck, she appeared to disappear every time she broke through his guard and his eyes seemed to be failing him when he tried to track her movements. He ignored the exhaustion that burned through his muscles and the sweat that dripped down his face. The tall Seirin player had to come up with a solution, and quick.

"I'm not letting you through again!" Kagami declared loudly, leaping to block her shot from within the key with a sudden burst of speed. Rokuro smiled at his persistence, undeterred. Leaning her body to her right at a sharp angle to avoid his block, she flung the ball in a high arc at the backboard with one arm. The red haired male watched in stunned silence as the ball landed neatly on the top of it, rolling along like it was balancing on a tightrope before finally falling through the hoop with a neat swoosh.

'_What. The. __**Hell?!'**_

* * *

'_This is becoming quite mundane...' _Rokuro thought in disappointment, her expression turning disturbingly blank.

Effortlessly performing a three-pointer, the tall girl turned away just before the ball went through the basket, uninterested in whether she made the shot or not as she began to leave the court.

_She was feeling rather tired._

"O-Oi! Where are you going?!"

The second year girl turned, fanning herself with the collar of her tank top in a lazy manner to get rid of the heat. There was a brief standstill as her deep crimson eyes revealed themselves once more to give Kagami an unnerving, penetrating stare.

"Home." She answered simply. There was a strange inflection to her voice, one that Kagami wasn't sure he liked.

_…Tired of playing all these damn players._

"What?! What are you saying?! We're not done here!"

_…Tired of discovering they were absolutely weak._

"You haven't scored a single point so far. I believe that constitutes as my win."

_…Tired of being proven **wrong** yet again._

"What are you talking about?! I can still keep going!"

"Unfortunately, I do not share your sentiments. We currently have a sixteen point difference. I have no intention of continuing any further."

_Hachiouji Rokuro was tired..._

"Oi! You can't just go deciding that! Get back here! We aren't fini-"

"Honestly, you're even weaker than I thought," Rokuro interrupted him rudely, her tone uncharacteristically annoyed.

…Tired of being so_ **bored.**_

"Sayonara, Kagami-san."

* * *

[1] – **BABY! ** Sorry couldn't resist…

[2] Ossan: Means uncle/old man. It's an informal way of addressing an older man (usually strangers). I reckon Kasamatsu only addresses Coach Takeuchi that way when he's angry though.

[3] Nakimura – Nakamura. 'Naki' can also mean 'cry'. She's making fun of Nakamura in a sense. Masakawa – Hayakawa.

[4] What Kagami really means by this is technically, Rokuro has an aura similar to the Generation of Miracles. However, seeing as how he hasn't met all of them yet aside from Kise, he has no choice but to use him as a sole comparison.

**Another author's note: What do you think of the basketball scene? I can't go long without writing one considering this story is set in Kuroko no Basuke. I didn't want to draw out the game for too long, as I only intended to give a preview to Hachiouji's skill-set. Critique and constructive opinions are welcome! **


End file.
